How can young people be catalysts of change and contribute to a peaceful co-existence in their communities in Yemen? How can digital tools used by the Yemeni youth be a part of non-violent conflict transformation? These questions are at the forefront of the “Arabia Felix” brand,under the “Supporting Peaceful Coexistence in Yemen” (SPCY) project, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). An earlier phase of this project was co-funded bt the European Union (EU). The name “Arabia Felix” means both “fruitful” and “happy and blessed” and is the ancient Latin name for Yemen. It describes the “golden times” of the country’s rich history.

Through our activities, we aim to help young people connect with Yemeni history and discover the secrets of Arabia Felix by learning about peaceful conflict transformation. Our activities take young people on an adventurous journey, for instance through “Serious games”, a series of interactive mobile games that are developed for and in collaboration with Yemeni citizens to support social cohesion. Arabia Felix is a fun and interactive learning experience, aimed at teaching young people about the many possibilities that can result from peaceful coexistence.

This project uses 21st-century technologies to help promote creative approaches on topics such as non-violent conflict transformation, dialogue, reconciliation, gender and the celebration of diversity and hope. Arabia Felix’s goal is to foster an understanding of responsibility and participation in society through a series of activities. Arabia Felix is not limited to games, as activities go beyond this field, to include Hackathons, Film Competitions, E-Learning courses, or a Serious Soap Opera.